It’s worth noting that Trump’s pet-eating objections have drawn only a feeble defense, except that his running mate, JD Vance, has doubled down and tripled down. ABC executives are bias for saying that it wasn’t true. A guy speak The police may have seen some Haitians holding some geese. Okay.
Trump’s internet addiction is well documented. He owns much of the Truth Social platform, where his account constantly posts and reposts, absorbing and amplifying memes with the ferocity of an unemployed authoritarian. His online experience is a bubble within a bubble, with its own language and reference points. Trump is now completely caught up in the manosphereproviding audiences for influencers like Logan Paul and Adin Ross, a self-perpetuating cycle of brotherhood. The Ouroboros tightens to the point where infanticide becomes an accepted practice rather than a truism. The more fragmented the internet becomes, the more unsettling mass exposure to certain corners of it becomes for the uninitiated.
At least that’s the theory. In reality, we don’t yet know how Trump’s debate performance resonated with undecided voters, or whether it will make any difference in the long run. He’s too online, sure, but maybe it’s all relative. Maybe we’re so inundated with internet trash that the inevitable conspiracy theories have become gospel to most people. Perhaps the most alarming result of a major presidential candidate embodying 4chan is that it works.
Chat room
Conspiracy theories weren’t the only headlines from last night’s debate. We also saw Taylor Swift endorse Kamala Harris shortly after the debate ended. As you might expect, this created an online frenzy, complete with an overabundance of Brittany Mahomes Memes. (I won’t tell you about this legend if you don’t know it already.)
Do you think Swift’s endorsement could have a tangible impact on the race? Is there any celebrity or influencer endorsement can influence the election?
Send me an email at [email protected]and let me know what you think!
💬 Please leave a comment below this article.
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What else we’re reading
🔗 A Former Tenet Reporter Criticized YouTube for Banning Him—But He Secretly Deleted His Own Channel: The fallout from the Tenet Media scandal – in which Russian state media was accused of funding far-right influencers – continues to spread. (Daily dot)
🔗 What if Trump wins?: Rolling Stone magazine delves into the “potentially catastrophic consequences for the American experiment” that a second Trump term could bring. (Rolling Stone Magazine)
🔗 Melinda French Gates Embraces the New Era and Enters Politics—Even When It’s Uncomfortable: This profile of Melinda French Gates and her company Pivotal Ventures is an insightful look at the politics of philanthropy. (Vanity Fair)
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Check the podcast today! Makena Kelly and Tim Marchman, WIRED’s director of politics, security, and science, joined our host Leah Feiger late Tuesday night to discuss the memorable moments, policies, and, of course, all the conspiracy theories that came up during the debate.
That’s it for today—thanks for signing up. Makena will be back next week and you can contact her via email, Instagram, Xand Signal at makenakelly.32.
